The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has begun a feasibility study for a proposed 15-kilometer dedicated busway along España Boulevard to Quezon Avenue to improve mobility in Manila’s university belt.

In an interview on the sidelines of the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines Infrastructure Forum on Monday, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the proposed corridor, which will cover key areas including the University of Santo Tomas, could help decongest a route currently dominated by jeepneys and lacking a structured bus system.

“To me, the most viable and the most needed one is a busway in) España to Quezon Avenue. That is very important, that is going to be very viable, and that is wide enough for a busway,” Dizon said.

The feasibility study is now underway and is expected to be completed next year. Once the project is built by the government, it may later be offered to the private sector for operations and maintenance.

Dizon said the government will handle the initial development of the project before turning over operations and maintenance to the private sector. He noted that construction would be relatively easy, citing how similar busways were built during the pandemic.

The Transportation chief added that the proposed España busway is part of the government’s efforts to modernize public transport, alongside major infrastructure initiatives in the provinces such as the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit and the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project, which he described as potential “game-changers” for commuters.